Cessna crashes in swamp after wind flips it over

The plane that crash-landed at Barwon Heads Airport.
Picture: John Barton

A light aircraft carrying a father and son plunged into a swamp at 140km/h just short of the runway at Barwon Heads airport on the Bellarine Peninsula yesterday afternoon.

The pilot, 47, suffered serious head, chest and back injuries, while his 15-year-old son suffered a fractured wrist and thumb. Rural Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman Joanne Hill said both were taken to Geelong Hospital, where the man was last night reported to be in a serious but stable condition.

Police spokeswoman Sheree Argento said that while the cause of the incident would be determined by an official investigation, it appeared the Cessna had been flipped over by "unpredictable winds".

Bureau of Meteorology senior forecaster Ken Dickinson said winds of 48km/h and gusts of 61km/h were recorded at nearby Mount Duneed at the time of the crash.